OPTIMAL
op·ti·mal
The most desirable; most effective; best place to be. Optimal.
Never has a word like optimal had more meaning than for hypothyroid patients, no matter the cause of their hypothyroidism.
In other words, with worldwide patient experiences and wisdom as shown on the Stop the Thyroid Madness website and life-changing books, it’s NOT about just “being on” a better medication or simply going by symptoms. Why? Because without being optimal, those feel good symptoms you achieved will eventually backfire with an unhappy return of hypothyroid symptoms…sooner or later.
So what is optimal when on thyroid meds like natural thyroid, T4/T3, or T3-only.
Gaining on nearly two decades of our observations and experiences as revealed by STTM, optimal puts the Free T3 at the top part of the range, and a Free T4 midrange. Both. And to get there without reactions, we have to have good iron and cortisol. Read about iron and cortisol here and what happens if you don’t have good levels when raising these better medications (natural thyroid supplements, T4/T3, or T3-only).
Why does it backfire if we aren’t optimal?
For one, it’s evident that when we are on these thyroid meds, they are going to suppress whatever remaining release of thyroid hormones we had (for those who still have a thyroid), even if that release was poor. That’s called suppression.
And to the degree we suppress, we need to replace to meet our needs.
Another way to look at it (whether you do or don’t have a thyroid): if we aren’t taking what our bodies need, day after day, week after week…we will eventually go backwards and see a return of our hypothyroid symptoms. The individuality is when it will backfire.
But I’ve had problems when I tried to get my frees where they need to be…
That’s about revealing poor levels of either iron and/or cortisol. Read this.
But I feel good when my frees are not optimal…
As stated, most people will notice feeling better on non-optimal doses with non-optimal frees. But as one stays on those non-optimal doses, they can see iron levels falls, the adrenals get stressed, lower B12, lower vitamin D, and increased problems. Why go there!!
Do you test my free’s right after a raise?
Definitely not. If on T4 with the T3, or on NDT, it takes a few weeks to build then to see its conversion results to T3. So only after a few weeks after a raise do we test.
Can I get optimal on just T4-only like Levo or Synthroid?
It’s not common to see it on T4-only. And forcing the body to live for conversion alone to T3, as Levo or Synthroid do to you, is simply too problematic. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work
I’m seeing my TSH go below range…
Even on non-optimal doses of NDT, T4/T3 or T3-only, it’s typical and expected to see a TSH lab result go low. And it will continue being low as we make our way up to an optimal dose. And it’s never been a problem. Our low TSH is not the same as the low TSH seen with Graves’ disease, the hyperthyroid side of the coin that doctors confuse it with. And we have to stand firm against doctors who try to lower our optimal meds to raise that normal TSH. Out low TSH when optimal on the latter meds does NOT cause bone loss or heart disease–it’s uncontrolled Graves’ disease that can do that, or still being underdosed, or having an iron or cortisol problem keeping us underdosed.
<—There is a chapter written by a doctor against the TSH lab test in the STTM II book. You can read a summary about it by clicking on the photo of it here: https://laughinggrapepublishing.com It’s the white cover with the doctors coat. There’s a complete chapter about the TSH in the updated revision STTM book, seen above right.
Important note: STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.